Charles Barkley’s net worth 2025–26: NBA legend’s $90M fortune, deals
Charles Barkley, the former NBA star, has amassed a significant net worth of $90 million by 2025-26, fueled by lucrative broadcasting deals and past endorsements. His career transitioned from the court to successful stints on TNT and CNN, significantly boosting his income beyond his NBA earnings. Barkley's enduring popularity continues to drive his financial success.
Charles Barkley's net worth (Image via Getty Images)
Charles Barkley is a former NBA star turned sports analyst. Before joining the big league, Barkley started playing college basketball for Auburn University for nearly three seasons.
And even though he couldn't succeed much in his initial years, slowly and gradually, Barkley became a well-known player at Auburn University, receiving many accolades throughout the rest of his college journey, until he was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1984 NBA Draft. He received two MVP awards with the Philadelphia 76ers. After playing for eight seasons with the 76ers, the Phoenix Suns traded Barkley in 1992, where he was also awarded the MVP, almost immediately after his trade.
He also received the NBA All-Star award while playing for the Suns. However, Barkley suffered severe back pain during his time with the Phoenix Suns, following which he had to take a short break from playing.In 1996, Charles Barkley resumed his professional journey and was traded by the Houston Rockets until the year 2000, when he retired from professional basketball, ending his 16-year NBA career as a Hall of Famer.
Barkley married Maureen Blumhardt, a former model, and is currently serving as a member of the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, a foundation based in Phoenix, as per People magazine. In 2025-2026, Barkley has been able to build a massive financial empire for himself, apart from his long NBA career.
As we proceed further, let’s take a look at Barkley’s net worth in 2025-26, exploring his major brand endorsements and contract extensions.
Charles Barkley's 2025-2026 NBA salary: Net worth, contract details, and more
As of 2025-2026, Charles Barkley is believed to have a massive net worth of $90 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Charles Barkley co-hosted “Inside the NBA” on TNT, signing a $30 million contract in 2020, receiving $6 million in salary per year. Barkley extended the contract with TNT in 2022, by 10 years for a wholesome amount of $100 million, which has earned him a total of $10 million in annual salary. In his 16-year NBA career, Barkley is believed to have earned a total of $40 million in salary.
It is believed that he would have a much higher net worth today if he hadn't blown a massive amount of around $30 million in gambling. After retiring, he also worked as a studio analyst covering NBA games for CBS. In 2023, Barkley began hosting his own show on CNN, which also featured Gayle King. The show, which was called “King Charles”, didn't run for long, due to its struggle to find a stable audience, and so it was aired only for one season till 2024, and didn't run through 2025 for a second one.